“The prospect of hosting a 2012 President Debate excites me for our University, community, region, and state,” President Whitlock said. “It is particularly exciting when I think of what it would mean for our students educationally to witness history in the making and to see an event of national, even international, importance play out before them.

“We are truly grateful for the support shown to this project by Richmond, Berea, Madison County, Lexington, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Whitlock added. “Governor Beshear, Senator McConnell, Representative Chandler and many others here in the state and in the nation's capital have given us encouragement. We would not be making this application without their endorsements and unless we thought we had a legitimate chance.

“During the course of this process, we will have a visit from representatives of the Commission on President Debates. I am confident they will be impressed by our facilities, our capacity, the resources of the region, and our can-do attitude.”

A news conference held today on the Richmond campus also featured remarks from Sixth District Congressman Ben Chandler, several local officials, and Debra Hoskins, Executive Director of EKU’s Center for the Arts.

Site surveys will be scheduled for April-June and conducted by members of the Commission. Proposals and site surveys will be reviewed this summer, and the CPD plans to announce the 2012 sites and debates this fall. Neither the number of applicants nor the number of debates is known at this time. All applicants will be announced Thursday, March 31. In 2007, 16 proposals were submitted, and three Presidential Debates were held the following year.

The proposal emphasizes several strengths University officials believe make EKU and the Richmond-Berea-Lexington area ideally suited to host such an event:

• An easily accessible location, served by interstate highways in all directions and the Blue Grass Airport.
• An experienced leadership team bolstered by several individuals who played key roles in logistics, security and communications with the Vice Presidential Debate held in Danville in 2000, including Hoskins, who was serving at the time as Director of the Programs at the Norton Center, which hosted the debate.
• The spacious, state-of-the-art Center for the Arts and other nearby campus facilities, such as the Perkins Building, Business & Technology Center and Alumni Coliseum, among others, which would serve auxiliary purposes, such as credentialing and media filing. If selected as a site, the EKU Center would be among the largest venues to date to host a Presidential Debate.
• More than 10,000 hotel and motel rooms in Richmond, Lexington and Berea.
• Security personnel in Richmond and Lexington who have worked previous local events involving national and international figures.
• The expressed support of local officials in Madison and Fayette counties to offer municipal resources as needed. The University’s proposal also includes letters of support from Gov. Steve Beshear, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Chandler, local governmental and business leaders, and telecommunications companies, among many others.
• The availability of shuttle services to and from the airport and to and from lodging locations.

A video accompanying the proposal package is narrated by Nick and Nina Clooney, Maysville native and acclaimed print and broadcast journalist. Nick Clooney, who received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from the University when he spoke at a commencement ceremony in 2008, is the father of actor George Clooney and brother of legendary singer Rosemary Clooney.

A regional comprehensive university serving approximately 16,500 students, Eastern Kentucky University has earned national recognition on several fronts in the past two years. It is the only college or university nationwide that can claim all the following “Points of Pride”:

• First Tier, Southern Master’s Universities (U.S. News & World Report)
• America’s Best Colleges (Forbes)
• America’s Great Colleges to Work For (Chronicle of Higher Education)
• National recognition for community engagement (Carnegie Foundation)
• Military-Friendly School (G.I. Jobs)
• Best for Vets, No. 1 Nationally (Military Times EDGE)

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners. Its primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States presidential and vice presidential candidates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all the presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Several events comprise the celebration:

• University Scholars Assembly, Friday, April 8, 9:30 a.m., Walnut Hall, Keen Johnson Building. Fifteen students, recipients of the highest awards from EKU’s five academic colleges, will be honored. In addition, a fellowship award for Phi Kappa Phi will be presented, and 2011 National Scholarship nominees, Honors Scholars, and all participants in the Posters at the Capitol and the UP Showcase will be recognized. Provost Janna Vice will bring the welcome and Carrie Cooper, Dean of Libraries, will preside over the event.
• Phi Kappa Phi Initiation, Friday, April 8, 1:30 p.m., Walnut Hall, Keen Johnson Building. Juniors in the top 7.5 percent of their class and seniors and graduate students in the top 10 percent of their class who have accepted their invitation into the Society will be formally inducted. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify for induction, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction. The featured speaker is Ret. Lt. Col. Brett Morris, associate director of veteran affairs at EKU, who will be inducted along with Executive Assistant to the Provost Dr. Sherry Robinson and Associate Dean of the College of Justice and Safety Dr. Norm Spain. The Chapter Fellowship Award recipient and National Fellowship nominee, Michelle Glass, will be recognized and receive her Chapter Fellowship award.
• 2011 Spring Honors Thesis Conference, April 13-16, Kennamer and Jaggers rooms, Powell Building. More than 100 Honors Program seniors will present their work. The Honors Scholar Banquet (invitation only) will be held Thursday, April 15, with Ed McClanahan, author of “O the Clear Moment,” as featured speaker. Visit www.honors.eku.edu/web10 to see the conference program.
• Undergraduate Presentation (UP) Showcase, Friday, April 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Walnut Hall and Lobby, Keen Johnson Building. This year’s Showcase gives more than 50 undergraduates and their mentors a venue at which to share their scholarly and creative work with the public. Students from a wide range of academic disciplines will present their posters, creative art displays and original dance.

His talk, “Brain Rules for Teaching,” will begin at 6 p.m. in Walnut Hall of the Keen Johnson Building. Time will be left at the end of the session for questions from the audience.

Medina, affiliate professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine and director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University, has had a lifelong fascination with how the mind reacts to and organizes information. As the father of two boys, he has an interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children.

He has spent most of his professional life as a private research consultant, working primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries on research related to mental health.

Medina was the founding director of the Talaris Research Institute, a Seattle-based research center originally focused on how infants encode and process information at the cognitive, cellular, and molecular levels.

In 2004, Medina was appointed to the rank of affiliate scholar at the National Academy of Engineering. He has been named Outstanding Faculty of the Year at the College of Engineering at the University of Washington; the Merrill Dow/Continuing Medical Education National Teacher of the Year; and, twice, the Bioengineering Student Association Teacher of the Year. Medina has been a consultant to the Education Commission of the States and a regular speaker on the relationship between neurology and education.

Medina’s other books include “12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School” and “Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise Smart and Happy Children from Zero to Five.” “Medina is also the regular "Molecules of the Mind" contributing columnist for Psychiatric Times.

For more about Medina, visit: www.brainrules.net.

His lecture at EKU, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the University’s College of Education.

Other EKU programs ranked among the nation’s best graduate programs are: Public Affairs (MPA), 165; Nursing, 193; and Speech-Language Pathology, 209. For a full list of the rankings, visit www.usnews.com/grad. Highlights of the rankings will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition book, on sale April 5.

The 2012 Best Graduate Schools includes essential, detailed statistical information on more than 1,200 programs nationwide. In addition to featuring new rankings in five of the largest professional graduate school disciplines (business, law, education, engineering and medicine), the 2012 rankings also include updated peer-assessment-only rankings for healthcare management, nursing, nursing-anesthesia, nursing-midwifery, physician assistant, public health, rehabilitation counseling, and veterinary medicine.

“We are proud to have four graduate programs at Eastern Kentucky University included in these U.S. News rankings,” President Whitlock said. “This is particularly true for our graduate program in Occupational Therapy, which has now been highly ranked in consecutive years.

“I am confident that as more persons learn about the quality of this institution’s programs, both undergraduate and graduate, more of our programs will be singled out for their excellence. This is a highly deserved recognition of our outstanding faculty.”

The 2012 Best Graduate Schools is the first rankings package to be launched on the newly redesigned U.S. News Education site. With a fresh look, the site redesign offers increased usability, interactive search tools, and additional resources to help guide users through the graduate school decision and application process.

To learn more about the U.S. News Graduate School Compass or to order a copy of the 2012 Best Graduate Schools book, visit the online U.S. News Store. For more information about Best Graduate Schools, visit www.usnews.com/grad, and to learn more about the methodology and data research, visit www.usnews.com/gradmeth.

The U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform publisher of news analysis, research and rankings which includes the U.S. News & World Report magazines and guidebooks, the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, and the company’s websites, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com.

More than 60 events and activities are scheduled, including tree plantings, clean-up projects, films, presentations, workshops, music, lectures, dance performances, a trail hike, poetry readings, a bicycle ride, and much more.

“Walden: Ballad of Thoreau” will be presented March 31 through April 2 and April 7-9, at 8 p.m. in Pearl Buchanan Theatre, Keen Johnson Building. The play, which recreates a conversation between Henry David Thoreau and his mentor and benefactor Ralph Waldo Emerson, is set in the final two days Thoreau spent in his cabin at Walden Pond. An opening night reception with author Michael Johnathon will be held at 7 p.m. in Walnut Hall of the Keen Johnson Building. Admission is $5 (Individuals with an EKU faculty, staff or student ID will be admitted free to the March 31 and April 7 performances.) For more information, contact Alice Jones at alice.jones@eku.edu.

Learn the proper way to plant a tree and take home a seedling to plant yourself on April 16 at 10 a.m. when members of the 2011 Richmond Tree Advisory Board will plant a tree at the entrance to the Richmond Cemetery, at the Main Street entrance to Richmond Cemetery #7. The first 100 households to attend will receive a white dogwood seedling donated by the Madison County Extension Office. You can also sponsor a tree in memory of someone for $85 and your loved one’s name will be included on a commemorative plaque of the event. The deadline to order a tree and have the name included on the plaque is March 31. Contact: Tonita Goodwin, 623-5248.

“Sound Conservation: A Musical Look,” on April 21 at 3 p.m. in the Keen Johnson Building’s Walnut Hall will take a musical journey through the history of conservation. Email bob.frederick@eku.edu for more information.

Additional events scheduled include:

March 30, 5:30-8 p.m., Center for Appalachian Studies, 300 Summit St., Virtual Ride on the River. Enjoy an evening of river fellowship with Kentucky Riverkeeper and friends. Music by Nathan Jasknski. Contact: alan.banks@eku.edu.

March 31, 3:30-7:30 p.m., Crab Orchard, Maywoods Work Day. Bring a willingness to work outside and help with clean up and other projects at Maywoods. No experience necessary. Volunteers need to bring a water bottle, work/hiking boots and work gloves. Contact: melinda.wilder@eku.edu.

April 1-30, Powell 132, Crabbe, Business and Technology Center, Stratton Libraries, and Corbin, Danville and Manchester campus student lounges, Cell Phone Recycling Drive. Recycle old cell phones by donating them to the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center. Contact: emily_wells14@mymail.eku.edu.

April 2, Fort Boonesborough, Paddle Out Pollution. Help keep the river clean while canoeing and kayaking. Hosted by Kentucky Riverkeeper, EKU Office of Community and Student Engagement, EKU Students for Appalachia and Center for Appalachian Studies. Contact: brian.perry@eku.edu.

April 4, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Powell Building, Earth Days Kick-off Event. Check out all the activities: Raptor Rehab, EKU Dance Theatre, special recycling drop-off location, freebies, promotional handouts, free hotdogs, “trade five plastic bags and get a tote” or “bring any recyclable item for a pen,” CRAFT, tree climbing clinic, Bike club table, CAER Center, Bonsai tree planting to take home. Contact: jill.petrey@eku.edu.

April 6, 5-8 p.m., Presnell Building (next to Gentry Building), Bike Maintenance Workshop. The Campus Cycle Coalition will host a bike maintenance workshop to help participants learn how to service their own bikes. (Workshop will be repeated on April 7, noon-3 p.m. for those who cannot participate on this date.) Contact: nick_elliott4@mymail.eku.edu.

April 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Ashland Parking Lot (off Kit Carson Drive), Community Recycling Drop-off, where community residents can drop off all recyclables. Contact: jennifer_hazzard3@mymail.eku.edu.

April 7, 2 p.m., Crabbe Library 108, Homer Marcum Film and Public Presentation. Homer Marcum, former editor of the Martin Countian, will talk about the role of community newspapers and his experiences as a newspaper editor in eastern Kentucky in the 1970s and 1980s. Known for in-depth reporting on issues facing his community, Marcum was recognized in 1983 by the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors with the Eugene Cervi Award for community service. That same year he was the subject of a half-hour documentary on the series “Our Times,” hosted by Bill Moyers. The documentary will be shown at 2 p.m., followed by a conversation with Marcum. Contact: alan.banks@eku.edu.

April 11-30, Powell Building Lobby, The Art of Recycling Finished Works. See art works made entirely out of recycled materials. Contact: jason_williams212@mymail.eku.edu.

April 12, 5:30 p.m., Crabbe Library 108, Death by a Honeybee. Mystery writer Abigail Keam, author of “Death by a Honeybee,” will speak and sign books. EKU students receive a 33 percent discount when they purchase her book. Contact: tammy.horn@eku.edu.

April 12-14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Gentry Building, EKU Recycle Tours. Tour the EKU Recycle program. Tours are 20 minutes long and begin on the hour. Contact: randy.wilson@eku.edu.

All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Events and dates are subject to change. To see a complete calendar of events, visit www.green.eku.edu/earthdays2011Events.php.

For more information, contact Earth Days coordinator Jill Petrey at jill.petrey@eku.edo or 622-2052.

“Finally, Somerset has its first four-year, state-sponsored university,” beamed Reynolds, coordinator for the campus. “The Lake Cumberland area has long awaited this morning.”

The 5,000-square-foot campus is located on the western outskirts of Somerset, at 46 Turpin Court near the intersection of old KY 80 and Hail Knob Road, approximately one mile west of US 27. It enables EKU to offer its entire paralegal degree program as well as its RN-to-BSN (Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program, among other courses that contribute toward degree completion.

The ceremony included remarks from several EKU and community officials.

President Whitlock said the new Somerset campus “sits right at the intersection” of the University’s twin commitments to student success and regional stewardship.

Noting Somerset Community College President Dr. Jo Marshall in the audience, Whitlock said the facility “will enable us to pursue more 2-plus-2 programs. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with Somerset Community College to continue serving the people of this area.”

Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler called the Center opening “a tremendous moment in our history. We do appreciate the President and Eastern for investing in Somerset and Pulaski County. We welcome EKU with open arms and we look forward to a great relationship with a great university.”

Already, 87 students are attending classes at EKU’s Somerset campus, a number EKU officials expect to rapidly grow. Twenty-eight course sections are offered, and this semester students are taking 400-plus credit hours.

Dr. Charles Hickox, dean of Continuing Education and Outreach for EKU, thanked Reynolds for her efforts.

“Terri Reynolds is a driving force in this community for EKU and is largely responsible for us being here this morning,” Hickox said. “We’ve grown already and we anticipate much more growth.”

Hickox vowed the University would work closely with SCC to offer more courses and with the local business community to offer more workforce training.

Other speakers at the event were EKU Provost Dr. Janna Vice and Chris Girdler, representing Congressman Hal Rogers.

All the classrooms at EKU’s Somerset campus are equipped for interactive TV (ITV) or traditional classes. Students can take ITV classes originating from the EKU Richmond campus or from anywhere in the world.

The conference, “Diversity in Education: Building Bridges for Understanding and Action,” is co-sponsored by the College of Education, Office of Associate Provost for Diversity Planning, COE Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Multicultural Student Affairs, and African African/American Studies Program, and the Southeast/Southcentral Educational Cooperative, the Kentucky Collaborative for State Agency Children, the Center for Educational Research in Appalachia, and the Southeastern Kentucky Regional Migrant Educational Program.

It will feature keynote speakers Dr. Peggy McIntosh, founder and co-director of the national SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), Wellesley College, who will examine “Five Ways of Looking at Equity and Diversity in Our Schools”; and Clemson University Call Me MISTER program director Dr. Roy Jones, who will discuss “Rededication and Commitment: Our Responsibility to Educate ALL of Our Children.”

Additional speakers will be Dr. Samuel Hinton, Poetry and Diversity; Sandra Anez Powell, Dream Act: Immigration; Dr. Ronnie Nolan, Understanding Students at Risk; Dr. Roger Cleveland, Cultural Competence Certification Workshops; Juan Pena, Hispanic Families and Culture; and Dr. Sheila Pressley, Diversity and Environmental Hazards.

Another highlight of the conference will be a special panel debate, “Some Critical Issues and Challenges in Diversity.” Participants will also choose from 20 breakout sessions.

The conference is designed for P-12 public school teachers, counselors and administrators; college and university faculty, staff and students; KECSAC educators and staff, and other interested professionals.

The conference fee is $125 per person ($75 for full-time EKU students) and includes all materials and two new books about famed Kentucky jockey Isaac Murphy by noted poet and author Frank X Walker and author Patsi Trollinger, as well as an international lunch buffet each day.

Participants will be eligible for 6 hours of EILA credit and may also receive a certificate in Cultural Competency. For more information or registration materials, contact Kate Montgomery at 859-622-7240 or kate.montgomery@eku.edu. Online registration is available at coetech.eku.edu/DiversityConfReg/diversity_reg.htm,/a>. The registration deadline is April 8.

The EPY 869 course, Research in Education, is now listed on the Quality Matters web site as one of the recognized courses to meet the QM standards in 2011 and is available at www.qmprogram.org/qmresources/courses/index.cfm.

She was honored by Library Journal along with 49 other “innovators who take service to the next level and technology leaders who build bridges between libraries and users. All 50 inductees (chosen by the editors of Library Journal) are ensuring that our libraries deliver the materials and services, the training and technology, and the access to the Internet and instruction that Americans need to succeed in the 21st century.”

The event will also include a reading by Berea poet Libby Falk Jones.

The play will be presented at 8 p.m. nightly Wednesday, April 13, through Saturday, April 16, and Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m. in the Gifford Theatre of the Campbell Building.

Tickets for the concert, scheduled nightly at 8 with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, are $5 for students, $10 for non-students and free for children under the age of 12 (a reserved seat is still required). Reservations may be made, beginning Monday, March 21, by calling 622-1264 or 622-6618 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The exhibit will be on display through March 30 in the Giles Gallery of the Jane F. Campbell Building. For more information, contact Joe Molinaro at joe.molinaro@eku.edu.

“Although I was only there for a week, what I experienced will stay with me the rest of my life,” said Helms. “I’ve never felt so welcome and useful than while teaching English in Port-au-Prince.”

Many groups are looking for volunteers with varied levels of expertise, especially in health care, teaching and construction. To learn more about European Disaster Volunteers, visit www.EDvolunteers.org.

Her presentation, at 7:30 p.m. in O’Donnell Hall of the Student Success Building, is entitled “Avoiding Extinction.” It is part of the University’s year-long Chautauqua lecture series and serves as the sixth annual Distinguished Lecture in International Studies and keynote address for Women’s History Month. The event is free and open to the public.

A world-renowned economist and mathematician, Chichilnisky is the author of the carbon market of the UN Kyoto Protocol that became international law in 2005. She also created the concept of Basic Needs voted by 153 nations at the 1993 United Nations Earth Summit and in 1996 created the formal theory of Sustainable Development that is used worldwide.

Called an “A-List Star” by the Washington Post, Chichilnisky acted as a U.S. lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the 2007 Nobel Prize. A special adviser to several U.N. organizations, heads of state and U.S. Congress, her pioneering work uses innovative market mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions, conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Chichilnisky has taught at Harvard University, Stanford and Columbia University, where she is currently a professor of economics and mathematical statistics and director of Columbia Consortium for Risk Management (CCRM). She is also the Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Professor at Monash University in Melbourne, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Nankai University and at Beijing Normal University in China, and a Founder and Managing Director of Global Thermostat LLC.

She has authored 14 books and more than 250 articles published in leading academic journals, including Nature, American Economic Review, Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, and the Journal of Mathematical Economics, as well as popular news media outlets, such as Time Magazine and the Financial Times. She is a frequent commentator on CNN, ABC, BBC TV News, and Bloomberg News. Her most recent books are Saving Kyoto, published in 2009, and The Economics of Climate Change, published last fall.

From 1985 to 1990, Chichilnisky was chairman and CEO of a successful financial telecommunications company, FITEL, which was sold in Japan, and from 2000 to 2004 the CEO and chairman of a successful financial technology company, Cross Border Exchange, owned by JP Morgan. She is an advisor to the Capital Institute, a member of the UK Climate Bonds Initiative, a former member of the Board of Trustees of the National Resources Defense Council, the Mediterranean College and of editorial boards of leading professional journals, including Advances in Applied Mathematics, Review of Economic Studies, Economic Letters, Journal of International Trade and Economic Development and Journal of Development Economics.

She is listed in the Dictionary of International Biography among the world's 1,000 most outstanding scientists of the 21st century. In 2007 she was identified by Hispanic Business among the top 10 most influential Latinos in the U.S.

For more information about EKU’s Chautauqua Series, visit www.chautauqua.eku.edu or contact coordinator Dr. Minh Nguyen at minh.nguyen@eku.edu.

Two teams traveled to New York City to work with two organizations, God’s Love We Deliver and GMHC Inc., on HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and advocacy. Two other teams traveled to Charleston, S.C., to work with Sea Island Habitat for Humanity for the third straight year. EKU also sent its first team to Washington, D. C., to work with the Pilgrimage on issues of homelessness and with KidPower’s afterschool programming.

Collectively, ASB participants served almost 1,400 hours during the week, a value of approximately $29,000 for the service agencies. Several students were repeating the alternative break experience, including several on their third trip.

Three teams were completely student led – again the most ever from EKU – and all trips included at least on student co-leader.

“ASB trips are not just a chance to see something new geographically,” said Student Trip Leader Miles Owen. “They provide an opportunity to see someplace new in yourself.”

Upcoming Summer Service Trips to New Orleans in May will complete Eastern’s first year of year-round alternative break programming – fall, winter, spring, summer and weekends – something not offered by most schools in Kentucky. The New Orleans teams will work with the St. Bernard Project as they continue to rebuild homes lost during Katrina. At the current pace of recovery, it is estimated that it will take another 16 years to complete the recovery effort.

The EKU Alternative Break Program places teams of students in communities across the United States and the world to engage in volunteer service and experiential learning. An EKU Alternative Break trip is an immersion experience in the community – students will experience different cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic backgrounds. While meeting identified communities needs through service, students will learn about the social and cultural issues facing the host communities.

The EKU team went undefeated, tying a single ballot with Miami University and winning ballots against Miami University (of Ohio), the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University and Bellarmine University.

Only the top 10 percent of teams in the country qualify for the championship. Other teams qualifying for the next level of competition this past weekend were The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, Miami, Bowling Green and Bellarmine. Other teams in the competition were the Coast Guard Academy, The College of William and Mary, Columbia College, University of Pittsburgh, Binghampton University, Swarthmore College, the University of Buffalo and Carnegie Mellon University.

EKU’s James Pennington, Manchester, received individual honors as Outstanding Witness. Other members of the team were Sara Martin, Dawson Springs; Alexandra Sipes, Mt. Sterling; William Foster, Gilbertsville; Zac Caldwell, Elizabethtown; Benica Triplet, Fulton; Chloe Richardson, Orient, Ohio; Alyssa McNabb, Jonesborough, Tenn.; and Cody Ison, Catlettsburg. Martin and Sipes are members of EKU’s nationally recognized Honors Program.

Coaches are Sara Zeigler, Lynnette Noblitt and Tom Parker. Financial support is provided by the College of Justice & Safety, the College of Arts & Sciences, University Programs, the Department of Government, and Distinguished Alumnus Robert Sanders.

An opening reception will be held Sunday, April 3, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Gallery events are free and open to the public and group tours are welcome. For Gallery hours, call 622-8135 or contact Esther Randall at 622-1639 or esther.randall@eku.edu.

The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, is a two-tiered team competition that combines the fun of a tournament with an innovative approach to ethics education for undergraduate students. Teams qualifying in the Regional Ethics Bowls move on to compete for the National Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio at the annual APPE meeting.

The Ethics Bowl is played in rounds where two teams from different schools compete against each other. Each team responds orally to an individual case embodying moral issues and then defends their response against comments and criticisms from the opposing team and from a panel of judges. Teams are given the set of cases from which the questions will be taken prior to the Ethics Bowl in order to prepare. Past cases have concerned incarcerated mothers raising their children in prison, medical researchers using their own children as experimental subjects, and subjecting teen “sexting” to the same legal sanctions as child pornography.

In order to prepare the team to compete in the Ethics Bowls, the Department of Philosophy and Religion is offering a 3-credit-hour course in the Fall of 2011 for those students interested in participating in the Ethics Bowl. The course is entitled Ethics Bowl 16 (PHI 388 CRN 14414) and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. There are no prerequisites for the course, and students from all majors and departments at EKU are encouraged to participate. The course will cover the normative ethical theories and concepts and argumentative skills and logical techniques required to compete successfully in the Ethics Bowl. A significant amount of time will be devoted to practice responding to cases from past Ethics Bowls and to preparing responses to the cases for the upcoming Ethics Bowl, once those cases are released.

“The format, rules, and procedures of the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl model acknowledged best methods of reasoning in practical and professional ethics,” said Dr. Laura Newhart,” chair of EKU’s Department of Philosophy and Religion. “Providing EKU students with the opportunity to train for and compete in the Ethics Bowl will contribute to our Quality Enhancement theme of developing informed critical and creative thinkers who communicate effectively. The Philosophy and Religion Department also sees it as an opportunity to raise students’ awareness of the value of philosophy for contemporary everyday life.”

For more information on the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, visit http://www.indiana.edu/~appe/ethicsbowl.html. For more information on EKU’s participation, contact Laura Newhart at Laura.Newhart@eku.edu.

The event is expected to feature the work of more than 200 students who have advanced through local and regional competitions across the Commonwealth. They will compete for trophies, ribbons, University and private scholarships and special awards from corporations and organizations in 17 categories: Animal Sciences, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science, Engineering (Materials & Bioengineering), Engineering (Electrical & Mechanical), Energy and Transportation, Environmental Management, Environmental Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Microbiology, Physics and Astronomy, and Plant Sciences Also, high school students will compete for the chance to represent the Commonwealth at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, Calif., in May.

“This event represents an exciting milestone for the science and technical education community in Kentucky, and EKU is proud to again be the host,” said Dr. Barbara Ramey of EKU’s Department of Biological Sciences. “The Fair’s mission is to expand educational opportunities for all middle and high school students, and to enhance the visibility and importance of science and engineering in Kentucky by providing annual statewide competitions that support, encourage and recognize student excellence in science and engineering research.

“The Fair also gives the public a chance to see the quality of science being done in Kentucky middle schools and high schools and see what the students are capable of doing.”

The public can view the students’ work from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, in Alumni Coliseum. An awards ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. in Brock Auditorium.

How many AmeriCorps members do we have this year and where are they stationed?
EKU AmeriCorps has 17 AmeriCorps Members this year who are stationed all over EKU's service region from Wayne County to Powell County and Casey County to Clay County. This year -- and in the past 18 years, EKU AmeriCorps has recruited, trained and coordinated more than 400 AmeriCorps Members who have served thousands of Eastern Kentucky students by tutoring at-risk reading students in research based reading programs and the five key components of reading; organizing and coordinating UNITE (drug abuse education) Clubs; teaching the drug abuse education curricula, "Too Good for Drugs"; organizing and coordinating environmental education service learning projects in coordination with Bluegrass PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment) and EKU's Natural Sciences programs; coordinating “Red Ribbon Week” drug education programs; “Make a Difference Day” Food Drives; Martin Luther King Jr. Day service projects; Dr. Seuss’s Birthday reading celebrations; Build-a-Bed projects; National Day of Service projects; “Green Week” environmental education projects; and School Literacy Night programs and by involving students in service learning projects that have connected their schools and communities in the projects to positively impact their communities.

What are some of the more noteworthy projects initiatives this year and in past years?
EKU AmeriCorps brought America’s Promise to EKU, making EKU the first 11th University of Promise in KY and the 11th in the nation. EKU Corps co-sponsored the America’s Promise Summit at EKU in 2000 at which General Colin Powell and Governor Paul Patton served as keynote speakers with 5,000 Summit attendees.

Looking back over the entire history of EKU’s AmeriCorps Program, what do you believe its biggest impact on the region has been?
Looking back over the entire history of the EKU AmeriCorps program, the biggest impact of the of the EKU AmeriCorps program has been the dedicated service of the over 400 EKU AmeriCorps Members, which has positively impacted the lives of thousands of Eastern Kentucky students, all over EKU's service region.

As the original, and only, EKU AmeriCorps Program Director, what has been your biggest thrill?
My biggest thrill as the original EKU AmeriCorps Program Director for the past 18 years has been my invitation to the White House, which I received from President Bush for a special Recognition Ceremony of Volunteer Program Leaders from across the country. It was thrilling to be walk into the White House for this event, representing EKU, Kentucky and AmeriCorps, and receive such an honor from a President, in person.

What tangible and intangible benefits do the AmeriCorps members receive?
The tangible benefits that the EKU AmeriCorps Members receive for their 1,700 hours of service from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 are: a small living stipend, free health care insurance, forebearance on student loans while serving in AmeriCorps, childcare (when eligible), an Education Award of $4,725 upon the completion of their 1,700 hours of service, and 3 hours of EKU undergraduate or graduate credit for their 1,700 hours of service and the in-depth EKU AmeriCorps training they receive throughout the service year from EKU AmeriCorps staff and EKU faculty. EKU AmeriCorps pioneered the 3-hour credit benefit, in Kentucky and the nation, five years ago – with Morehead State University adding the benefit this year.

A tangible benefit to Eastern Kentucky University is that EKU AmeriCorps has brought in over $5 million in grant funding over the past 18 years. EKU AmeriCorps is one of only a few original AmeriCorps programs still in operation in the nation. I am the only remaining original AmeriCorps Program Director in Kentucky.

The intangible benefit that the EKU AmeriCorps Members receive is the opportunity to serve their communities and to grow as service-minded citizens and scholars who will continue to positively impact their communities – long after their AmeriCorps service ends. It has been my privilege and honor to witness the transformation of these EKU AmeriCorps Members into lifelong civic-minded leaders for Eastern Kentucky.

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Carpenter, Russell; Valley, Leslie; Apostel, Shawn; and Napier, Trenia. “Stepping Up, Stepping Out: Collaboration, Creativity, and the Development of a New Space,” Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Feb. 18, 2011.

Carpenter, Russell. “Sustaining Scholarship in a Digital Age,” It Works for Me: Becoming a Publishing Scholar/Researcher, Eds. Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet. Stillwater, Okla.: New Forums Press, 2010, pgs. 117-118.

Jones, Paula; Kolloff, Mary Ann; and Kolloff, Fred. “Offering Professional Development Opportunities for Faculty on Methods of Developing Critical Thinking in Online Courses,” Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education Conference Proceedings and Presentation, Nashville, Tenn., March 2011.

Pierce, Doris; Atler, Karen; Baltisberger, Julie; Fehringer, Elaine; Hunter, Elizabeth; Malkawi, Somaya; and Parr, Twilla. “Occupational Science: A Data-based American Perspective,” Journal of Occupational Science, Vol. 18, No. 1 (2011) [In Press].

Pierce, Doris; Shordike, Anne; et al. “Respecting Regional Culture in an International Multi-Site Study: Methods of the Elder Women’s Food Preparation Study,” Canadian Society of Occupational Scientists/Society for the Study of Occupation: USA Joint Meeting, London, Ontario, Canada, October 2010.

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Pierce, Doris. “Weaving a Research Strand into Your Career: Three Paths,” Invited Presentation. American Occupational Therapy Association/National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (AOTA/NBCOT) Student Conclave, Louisville, Ky., November 2010.

Ramsey, Marianne P. “Early Kentucky Furniture and the Artistry of Inlaid Decoration,” Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation Brown Bag Lecture, Hunt-Morgan House, Lexington, Ky., March 15, 2011.

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Ramsey, Marianne P. “Early Kentucky Furniture and the Artistry of Inlaid Decoration,” Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Furniture Seminar, Winston-Salem, N.C., March 26, 2011.

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The “Take the Stairs” signs on elevator doors across campus are part of another opportunity for employees to improve their health. Through April 29, everyone campus-wide is challenged to take the stairs instead of the elevator as part of “The Big Green Climb Challenge.”

The Big Green Climb Challenge is a six-week challenge to help participants become more active and improve quality of life. Participants can earn points for The Big Green Climb Challenge by being physically active, but will earn points faster by taking the stairs. Studies show that people who are physically active manage stress better, sleep better and feel better. Even moderate levels of physical activity may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. Plus, walking up stairs burns almost five times more calories than riding an elevator.

Taking the stairs is not only good for one’s health; it is also good for the environment. Every time the elevator is called, it costs approximately three cents. While it does not seem like a lot, if everyone on campus uses the elevator four times a day, it costs the University approximately $2,000 dollars daily. If everyone who is able, begins to take the stairs instead of the elevator, it would result in potential cost avoidance of as much as $250,000 a year.

It’s easy to participate in The Big Green Climb Challenge – keep track of the amount of time spent being physically active and receive 1 point for every 10 minutes of continuous physical activity and one point for every 10 flights of stairs taken.

The goal is to accumulate 110 points of activity over the six weeks; by successfully reaching the goal participants will earn 6 Wellness Credits in Healthy You! at EKU. Track activity points daily; use the paper tracking form when away from the computer. Employees can enter the total number of points earned for the day online at HealthyYouatEKU.com. Students can enter points through Well 4 U’s Blackboard page. Record all points online by May 9 to receive 6 Wellness Credits.

As part of the six-week challenge, a Stair Climbing Event will take place at Roy Kidd Stadium on April 6 from 11a.m. to 1p.m. For every flight of stadium stairs climbed, participants receive a SillyBand. For every SillyBand collected, participants will be entered into a drawing for up to $100. Prizes will also be awarded to the individual who climbs the most stairs. The Stair Climbing Event is open to all faculty, staff and students.

Visit www.healthyyouateku.com to download a flyer and tracking form. For more information, email leanna.bowles@eku.edu.